Brackenridge Park Sky Ride

I have one clear memory of riding the Brackenridge Park Sky Ride. I remember sitting in the gondola and looking out over the city, but I was so young that I don’t remember whether I was with my grandparents (probably) or my parents. I grew up in the ‘burbs, so we didn’t come downtown very often.

I came across this photo in our file for the North Expressway, the controversial section of U.S. 281 that stretches north from downtown.

This photo, by Express-News staffer Ron Jones, was probably taken in 1975, given the date stamp on the back. The caption indicates the view is from N. Hildebrand. The North Expressway, under construction, is in the foreground with the Sky Ride and the Tower of the Americas in the background.

According to this page from the University of the Incarnate Word website (which sources Express-News articles, by the way), construction of the Sky Ride began in 1964, with involvement from B.J. “Red” McCombs, and opened the same year. Over the years, it changed hands, and by the time it closed in 1999, it had deteriorated beyond repair. The ride was disassembled in 2002 and the gondolas sold to nostalgic buyers for $1,000.